Lely is currently manufacturing up to eight A4 Astronaut Milking Robots per day at its production facility in the Netherlands. All are being made to order.
However, the company has the capacity to increase this output threefold, should the need arise. And all of the indicators point to the distinct possibility of this manufacturing resource being more fully utilised over the coming years.
Currently, 1.2 million cows are being milked by 20,000 Lely robots in countries around the world. And, according to Lely’s Customer Support and Marketing Manager for the UK & Ireland, Tomas Cooney, these figures are set to increase significantly over the coming years.
“In addition to milking cows in the most efficient way possible, robots provide dairy farmers with all the information they require on individual animals, from the day each joins the milking group, up to the point when they leave the farm.
“At Lely we are committed to an ongoing educational programmes that are designed to communicate the benefits of robotic milking to Irish milk producers.
“And our efforts are now starting to bear fruit. Increasing numbers of Irish dairy farmers are expressing an active interest in robotic milking systems. They realise that an investment in the technology frees them up to concentrate on a wider range of cow management related priorities. All of this adds up to the production of higher quality milk and the attainment of higher efficiency levels by dairy farmers across their businesses as a whole.”
Significantly, Tomas did not hesitate in confirming that robotic milking and grazing platforms are totally compatible.
“This is a point that we will be emphasising courtesy of our presence at the upcomig National Ploughing Championships. This year, again, the focus of our exhibition will be a working demonstration of an A4 Astronaut robot.
“And if last years’ crowds are anything to go by, it will be standing room only around the exhibit for the entire three days of the event.”
